Alice in her new bathing suit.
Plight of the Phoenix: A 2013 Red Bull Flugtag team, Florida.
"There are men who take destiny by the throat, men who conquer the sky by sheer will alone. These are not those men. These are not the heroes we deserve, but they are the ones who could show up today.... Five brave souls, touched by fate, who strive to punch gravity in the naughty bits. Marooned in the sands of Florida, they have been forced to create a flying machine from whatever could be found.... Duct tape, plywood, bits of strangled hobo, nothing was above aircraft salvage. Like a modern day Chariots of Fire, only sucky, these heroes strive to conquer physics by sheer bullheaded ignorance alone. A vote for them is a vote for all of us - the sad, the ugly, the slow moving. We promise not to fail you, but only because your bar is set so very, very low....
Fly with us now - you have nothing to lose but your next 30 seconds of entertainment. Gravity is a cruel mistress indeed, and you can watch her slap us in the face and send us home for another lonely night. Plight of the Phoenix - sadly, the heroes you probably deserve."
2013/07/13 19:00 There was a birthday pool party at the Katie Best and James Best house today.
2013/07/11 18:00 Gravity is always keeping us down. That is inevitable. Let’s face the facts. The ant can’t move the rubber tree plant. But sometimes people with high hopes attempt things where the conclusion seems foregone. We can be inspired by that or amused by it. Either way it’s worth a looksee. Check out my man Brendan McWilliams and The Plight of the Phoenix.
At the Fremont playground where Alice is brandishing a slim jim.
2013/07/11 16:00 Fun at the playground. Tristan said, "Pop, you and Alice both have Tiki shirts on." I need to get a Tiki shirt for Tristan. Makes me smile.
Fun and games.
After spending the day at the MOST we went to Papa Gallo's for dinner. We made reservations and we were given a private dining room.
Cousins Michael and Phillip.
2013/07/05 20:00 On Friday we went to the MOST (Museum of Science and Technology).
2013/07/01 11:00 Today is the first day of July. Summer is well under way. Everything seems to be moving so quickly. There were less than 300 page views of the website for June. There were 286 hits.
2013/07/01 23:30 My brother Darren and his family are here from New Mexico for a visit. After their plane landed and they got settled into their motel we met at Carraba's for dinner.
Alice and cousin Kate.
My very first Tiki.
2013/06/26 23:00 I have almost finished my first carving. I have been stressed all week making sure this was done for Ohana: Luau at the Lake this weekend. I have made a very simple design, a very simple Moai. The piece is 30 inches high. It is carved from pine or fir I think. I got the finish on it; a walnut stain and a hand rubbed poly. I am donating this to the silent auction where the proceeds go to the Easter Island Foundation. This is my first piece and I will sign, date, and number as such. I plan to continue making Tikis and I might get better at it. Also, I might someday become famous or infamous. If any of that happens this first piece might become more valuable. I am offering those thoughts as one reason to bid on the piece. Coupled with the fact that this is for charity I am hoping someone will bid. I will be embarrassed if no one bids or if it goes for five dollah. To sweeten the pot I am including one of my soon to be a collector’s item T-shirts; the winning bidder gets to pick the size – S, M, L, and XL.
Tristan is a great big brother. He loves his sister. They enjoyed playday.
It was playday at Fremont Elementary
Wacky Chad, a 'stunt comedian", was the featured performer. He was funny, and he did stunts.
2013/06/18 20:00
Fun times.
2013/06/14 14:00 Alice and I went to a toddler dance party at the Dewitt Community Library. Alice loves music and dancing. There was all that at the party and as if that wasn't enough there were bubbles as well.
Fun times at the grocery store.
2013/06/13 14:00 Alice and I went grocery shopping today at Wegmans. Alice had on a Minnie the Mouse shirt and was carrying her Minnie the Mouse purse.
The rain on Friday when I was in Fort Lauderdale seemed to be constant and was very heavy. I guess it was the result of Tropical Storm Andrea. Now that I am home it seems as if the storm has followed me up the coast. The rain today seemed constant.
2013/06/06 07:00 I was up late last night packing for my trip to Fort Lauderdale and The Hukilau. I had to get up early. I tried to print my itinerary last night and found out I was out of ink for the printer. It was too late to go buy more ink and so I went to Kinkos /FedEx in the morning to use their computer and printer. I had only slept about five hours and it wasn’t a restful sleep. I had a nightmare. It was what I would characterize as an existential nightmare. In the dream I was given 72 hours to live and then tasked with finding the meaning of life in that time. I set out on the path. It was literally a path in the woods. There were many intersections and I didn’t have time to investigate any of them. At each decision point I was forced to choose and then move on. There were people who joined me on the way to lend support and guidance. I ended up at a waffle house where they served pork bar-be-que. There was ice cold Piels beer being served as well. I don’t like cheap beer like Piels beer but it was ice cold. Cary Grant was there. Everyone in the dream was in color except for Cary Grant. He was stuck in black and white (for anyone younger reading this Cary Grant was a big movie star in the days of black and white films. He starred in screwball comedies like “Holiday” and “Bringing Up Baby” and dramas like “Only Angels Have Wings”). There was a ceramic statue of Babe Ruth at the waffle house that seemed to have some significance but I didn’t know what it was. I wasn’t going to find the meaning of life and time was running out. Some of the people that had joined me on the path suggested we go to Disneyland. I said no. I just wanted to go home. But there wasn’t time to make it home. I was sad that I would be dying alone. My alarm jolted me awake. I felt kind of creeped out. It was a disconcerting dream to have right before boarding an airplane and flying away on vacation.
2013/06/13 10:00 The cul-de-sac in front of my house today.
You cannot drink rum all day if you don't start in the morning. Arrgghh!!
2013/06/05 12:00 My friend Michelle put this on my Facebook page today.
2013/06/04 20:00
Skater dude. First skateboard.
203/06/04 14:00 Alice fell asleep during snack today. Face down in some waffle pretzels.
Waffle pretzel marks.
Fashionista.
2013/06/04 12:00 New hat! This little girl is going to have more hats than Imelda Marcos had shoes.
Messy girl.
2013/06/03 19:00 Alice the menace. That doesn’t rhyme like Dennis the menace but the little girl is a menace nonetheless. It’s hard to believe the sweet little girl has such a mischievous streak. You can’t turn your back on her for a minute before she’s into something. It only took her a minute to get into the baking soda that we used for the water bottle rockets at Tristan’s birthday party.
2013/06/03 12:00 Fashion statement for the first Monday in June; pink Crocs with flowers, jean shorts with pockets, SpongeBob Squarepants zippered hoodie, and kickass sunglasses.
Fashion.
Nathan and Danielle enjoying Pokeball cupcakes and ice cream.
Pokeball cupcakes on a Robot cake stand.
The girls got pink jet-packs.
Alice and the Robot.
All the kids got jet-packs.
The Robot arrives.
The birthday boy with Robot T-shirt.
2013/06/02 23:30 We got very lucky with Tristan’s party. The weather was a concern right to the end. Tristan’s birthday is in January but he wanted a summer party so this was his six and a half year old party. The forecast for the day of the party was dismal. But what happened was it rained at 10. It rained again at 12 and then it stopped. It was hot enough that everything dried up by the time the party started at 2. The party was over at 4:30 and as the last guest left the skies opened up and it poured. It was perfect timing. There was a lot of work that went into the party. Karen did so much to make the party special for Tristan. She spent weeks making ‘jet packs’ for the kids. She also made rocket favors. The party theme was robots and rockets. Adison made an awesome robot costume. She even had a friend wire it so that the lights worked. It was a little too real for Tristan who refused to get too close. Michael pitched in and was in charge of launching plastic water bottles using vinegar and baking soda as fuel. Lots of games were played, crafts were done, and snacks and cake and ice cream were consumed. All in all it was really great party.
2013/06/01 18:00 The storm had pretty well totaled my 10 x 20 tent. I had planned to use that for Tristan’s birthday party. The weather for Sunday and his party looks pretty iffy so it would have been really nice to have the tent. Michael went through the busted poles and found enough pieces to put together a 10 x 10 frame. The canopy top was undamaged in the storm and so we will have half a tent for Sunday. After the party I am going to build my own frame for the tent. Something more substantial that I hope will stand up better.
Busted poles. Victims of the storm.
Half of a 10 x 20 tent.
Okay, yes, the Rants and Rambles are continuing. There is little hope that they will be useful or informative and they probably won't even be entertaining. They just abide.
This latest iteration of my rants and rambles will be much like past versions. The key components will be unchanged. There still may be too much information shared and I am still most definitely weird as all get out. I am hopeful that perhaps with time my ramblings may become more reasoned and may at some point have some useful insight. Until that time has come, and it may not ever, then it is best to accept the warnings offered and please read at your own peril. It is time now to ramble on.
2013/06/01 09:00 June 1. The first day of the first Summer month for 2013. I am looking forward to a great Summer and to a very productive Summer. I am going to make it happen. There were 363 page views of the site in May.
khan tiki mon's rants and rambles v.7.42
Alice has been rocking the new hat.
2013/07/31 22:30 The last few nights Karen and I have been watching the three part Ken Burns documentary “Prohibition” on Netflix. It has been totally fascinating. I learned so many things I didn’t know. There is a lot of history there that I feel more people should know about. Before prohibition the government was funded by excise taxes. And fully 70% of the excise taxes were collected on beer, liquor, and wine. The forces that wanted to see prohibition become the law of the land realized that they couldn’t achieve that goal without another way to fund the government. The personal income tax was created to make way for prohibition. The passage of prohibition is an example of the principle of unintended consequences. The law created disrespect for the law. It allowed petty criminals a way to get rich and powerful. It brought corruption to the highest levels of government. And it didn’t stop anyone from getting a drink if they really wanted one. The backers of prohibition allowed the law to be overturned because in their zealotry they wouldn’t allow any compromises that might have allowed the 18th amendment to stand. The stock market crash and the Great Depression were instrumental in the repeal of prohibition as the re-opening of breweries, distilleries, and wineries were seen as a way to create jobs and raise tax revenue. Most historians note that it was actually harder to get a drink after the repeal of prohibition because once it was legal to drink again then all kinds of laws could be passed to regulate the practice; hours of operation for saloons, drinking ages, where saloons could locate, etc. One of the lasting legacies of prohibition is the powerful organized crime structure that probably never would have happened had there never been prohibition; that and the godforsaken IRS. Karen and I have also been watching the series “The Killing”. This is the third season and lately we have been wondering why we are watching this show. It is bleak and depressing and very bleak. I mean the show is just bleak. And who would want to live in Seattle where apparently it just rains all the time and its dark and everything is really bleak? The show is well done and well-acted and it is easy to get caught up in the characters and the story but does it have to be so bleak? And then tonight we watched “Zero Dark Thirty” about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Yeah, I know, we need to sneak a comedy in there somewhere.
2013/07/29 13:00 Adison came by for a visit today.
Alice got a new hat at Target yesterday.
After pizza at Trapper's we went back to the house for a birthday party for Oshawatt. I had made a cake for the occasion. I decorated with a 'pokeball'.
By coincidence Oshawatt is the same age as Tristan.
2013/07/19 22:00 There was a celebrity sighting at Wegmans today.
2013/07/14 23:30 Pizza for dinner tonight. Why not wear swim goggles to eat pizza?
My little Allie-boo-boo at Trapper's Pizza Pub.
2013/07/11 12:00 Today is day 345 of my retirement, unemployment, non-employment, self employment, whatever (pick one) and it's not always easy. Busy day today. Played Spy Vs. Spy this morning and then on to Stratego. Now it's off to the playground. No time to rest.
I got Alice a Tiki shirt. It is going to be a little while before the little girl is going to Tiki events.
2013/07/11 09:30
Oshawatt is a Pokémon and here he is with a human friend.
Pyrotechnic display.
At the zoo watching the otters.
Little Alice and a big tiger.
2013/07/02 23:00 On Monday we went to the zoo.
Aunt Penny and sweet little Alice.
Phillip with a giant brain.
2013/06/26 17:00 One of the best in my "Alice takes a nap" series. Notice the angry bird candies in the hand.
Alice is just too cute (I know I'm biased but still, c'mon).
Alice asked me to buy her some Minnie the Mouse jewelry.
2013/06/20 15:00
Hanover Square after lunch at Niko’s. Michelle was joking that she looks like our South American au pair. I said after my troubles with the IRS don’t even joke like that. I don’t need anyone thinking I’ve got a domestic that I’m not paying withholding for. Too funny.
Tristan and his kindergarten teacher. She was so very very good with him and he did so well. Very proud of him.
2013/06/20 13:30 My daughter Adison is in grad school pursuing her Master’s degree. She has some time off between semesters and so my wife hired her to clean our house. She came over today to clean the upstairs bathroom. I already had plans to meet Michelle for lunch. I asked Adison to join us and she did. Karen told me to stop taking the cleaning lady out to lunch. My bad.
Kindergarten end of year ceremony.
2013/06/19 23:00
2013/06/11 07:00 I am back at home after my trip to Fort Lauderdale and the Hukilau. I had a great time. Still, it’s nice to be home. I missed my wife. As much fun as I had it would have been even more fun if she had been there. She told me last night, after I got home, that, “believe it or not”, she had missed me. Okay. Why would I find that hard to believe? Tomorrow is my birthday.
Tristan having fun in the pool after the rain let up.
2013/07/28 20:00 It rained pretty heavy Saturday night and it rained again, today, Sunday. We were shopping at Target today when there was a heavy downpour. We came home and the rain stopped. It was muggy and everything was damp. Not my favorite weather. It didn't stop the kids from wanting to use the pool.
2013/0728 05:00 I am a flawed human being. Is that an excuse? An explanation? Or maybe it’s just the truth? I guess we are all just flawed human beings. Some of us are just more or less flawed than the rest. I can’t seem to get the things done that I want to. Although, I have been pleased with how much I have accomplished in the last couple of days. I need to just keep that momentum going. I have done very little on the website in the last three weeks. Hopefully I can get some stuff done here online in the upcoming week.
Alice fell asleep playing on the I-Pad.
2013/07/22 16:00
I spied this license plate in the parking lot at Home Depot.
2013/07/25 23:00
I want my money back! I want my money back!
It's all or nothing, and nothing's all I ever get
Everytime I turn it on, I burn it up and burn it out
It's always something, there's always something going wrong
That's the only guarantee, that's what this is all about
It's a never ending attack, everything's a lie and that's a fact
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
And all the morons and all the stooges with their coins
They're the ones who make the rules,
It's not a game, it's just a rout
There's desperation, there's desperation in the air
It leaves a stain on all your clothes
And no detergent gets it out
And we're always slipping thru the cracks
Then the movie's over, fade to black
Life is a lemon and I want my money back
Meatloaf – “Life is a Lemon”
2013/07/21 17:00
Visitor from the Great White North. You may recognize him from his Labatts commercials.
It has been very hot.
2013/07/14 14:00 Today in the kiddie pool.
It was a very good party.
2013/07/05 23:30 After dinner at Papa Gallo and after we said goodbye to my brother and his family we went to see the fireworks at the Syracuse Chief's baseball stadium. We watched the fireworks from outside in the van.
After the MOST and after dinner at Papa Gallo's. Hanging out and waiting to go see some fireworks.
My parents with their grandchildren, Phillip, Kate, and Andrew.
Alice in a pretty dress she got from her New Mexico cousins.
Cousins Kate and Alice on a jet simulator.
At the MOST they have an air traffic controller simulator. We learned that hopefully Tristan will never be an air traffic controller as he searched in vain for the 'attack' buttons.
Angry bird candies.
2013/06/21 10:00 First thing in the morning when Alice gets up she goes to the window and looks in the driveway to see what vehicles are there so she knows who is home.
2013/06/20 17:00 Out of nowhere my six and a half year old grandson says, “The new mailman is a girl. She’s hot. I think I’m going to marry her one day.” What?! “Yeah,” he says, “I couldn’t see her eyes because she was wearing sunglasses but the rest of her looked pretty good.” What?!! One thing is for sure, I guess I need to get the mail tomorrow.